Emerson is a township in Gratiot County, Michigan, home to about 751 people across 34 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 48615, 48801 and 48847.
Homes sold for a median of $120 per square foot across 3 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and all of them were seller’s markets.
Mostly Wheeler; part is in Emerson
Mostly Alma; part is in Emerson
Mostly Ithaca; part is in Emerson
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Emerson. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Emerson’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR)56 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | MBS International Airport (MBS)29 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Detroit, MI100 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL188 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Emerson; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Emerson had 849 residents in the 2020 census, down 12% since 2000.
It’s the 1303rd largest of 1,531 towns in Michigan by population.
Gratiot County grew from 29,889 residents in 1900 to 41,761 in 2020.
Gratiot County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 15°F. About 34.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 39 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Alma, MI weather station (4 miles away).
10,633 jobs at 725 businesses in Gratiot County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
335 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Emerson’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 52 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 46 |
| Dentists | 14 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 71 |
| Mental health providers | 102 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 42 |
| Optometrists | 7 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 13 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (5 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 4 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Breckenridge Community Schools, Gratiot-Isabella RESD, Alma Public Schools and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breckenridge Elementary SchoolBreckenridge | Pre-K–5 | 324 | Public | 8.5 mi |
| GIRESD Center ProgramsAlma | Pre-K–12 | 173 | Special Education | 4.9 mi |
| Luce Road Elementary SchoolAlma | Pre-K–K | 141 | Public | 5.6 mi |
| South Elementary SchoolIthaca | Pre-K–2 | 234 | Public | 3.4 mi |
| Hillcrest Elementary SchoolAlma | 1–3 | 400 | Public | 3.7 mi |
| North Elementary SchoolIthaca | 3–6 | 295 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| Pine Avenue Elementary SchoolAlma | 4–5 | 265 | Public | 4.7 mi |
| Breckenridge MiddleHigh SchoolBreckenridge | 6–12 | 310 | Public | 8.5 mi |
| Donald L Pavlik Middle SchoolAlma | 6–8 | 457 | Public | 5.1 mi |
| Ithaca High SchoolIthaca | 7–12 | 442 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| Alma Senior High SchoolAlma | 9–12 | 552 | Public | 4.9 mi |
| Gratiot Continuous Learning CenterAlma | 9–12 | 41 | Alternative Education | 4.6 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary SchoolAlma | Pre-K–6 | 99 | Roman Catholic | 4.6 mi |
| Countryside Christian SchoolIthaca | K–8 | 61 | Mennonite | 8.1 mi |
| Ithaca Sda SchoolIthaca | K–7 | 14 | Seventh-day Adventist | 1.9 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Alma, Ithaca, Pine River, Arcada, Newark, North Star, Wheeler, Porter Township (Midland County), Sumner, Bethany, Seville, Lafayette, Hamilton Township (Gratiot County) and Lee Township (Midland County).
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.